Sunday, February 28, 2010

La Reverie, the concert.

Yesterday (27th February 2010) I went to the Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) NegeriSembilan complex at SungaiGadut, Seremban to experience, what I should say an extraordinary concert. This was a concert performed by my school juniors. The band is called The SDAR Symphonic Band. SDAR stands for SekolahDato' Abdul Razak.

The concert was called La Reverie, two French words meaning what I don't know. But I was made to understand the band will be performing in Paris soon. This is part of the prize after the school's Wind Orchestra won the runners-up spot for last year's Wind Orchestra competition among fully residential schools in the country.

This is a long way since my own school days when my school did not have even a marching band. What we had then were a few pop groups performing in our school hall.

The school now is lucky enough in being situated just next door to the the state's modern radio station. The audio visuals and their controlling system were superb. Just for the record the complex was named after Tuanku Muhammad, the father of the country's first Yang Di PertuanAgong, Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Tuanku Muhammad was also the great grandfather of the present Yang Di PertuanBesar of NegeriSembilan, TuankuMuhriz.

Neighbours SDAR and RTM.

The Programme.

The Ticket. My seat was S 24, right in the centre.

The Backdrop.

The Band.

Xylophone player.

Clarinet players in front.

Saxophone, horns and cello players.

The conductor conducting.

Big drum, I don't know the exact name.

Timpani player.

Two cellists right behind.

The two MCs. No photographs please, the said. Sorry guys, I had to disobey you.

Saxophone soloist playing 'We've Only Just Begun'. A bit of a misnomer actually, since the concert had begun for about half an hour.

Trumpet soloist playing The Carpenters' 'Superstar'. Appropriately you are all superstars, boys.

I really enjoyed this drummer's drumming.

What do you call an eight-piece band? They played P. Ramlee's 'Gelora'.

Boys dancing to some traditional Malay tunes. What a pity this is a boys school!

Dancing again.

Again.

And again.

Standing up.

At last I could see the conductor's face. He is YMRajaMuzafar Shah RajaAbdullah.

The conductor receiving a bouquet of flowers from a female fan.

A male fan this time.

Smiling conductor.

The conductor presenting a bouquet of flowers to his mentor, Suhaimi Yacub.

The finale, the band playing Mary Hopkin's 'Those Were the Days'. Are they teasing me? This song was famous when I was of the same age as the boys now.